COVID-19: Maldives confirms 99 new infections

Health Protection Agency (HPA) has announced 99 new cases of COVID-19, increasing confirmed cases in the Maldives to 16,155.

The Maldives now has 1,833 active cases. There are 186 patients in hospitals.

According to HPA, the new cases are:

• 82 cases from Greater Male’ region.
• Five cases from residential islands apart from Male’
• 12 cases from operational resorts 

Meanwhile, 73 COVID-19 patients were confirmed to have made full recoveries over the last 24 hours, increasing total recoveries to 14,263.

The positive cases today were detected from 3,471 samples. 417,313 samples (including repeated samples) have been tested for the COVID-19 to date.

Caseload over the week

• February 2: 99 cases
• February 1: 215 cases
• January 31: 105 cases
• January 30: 122 cases
• January 29: 118 cases
• January 28: 106 cases
• January 27: 143 cases

52 patients have died from complications.

The increase in cases has led to authorities clamping down on easements as the Maldives begins its vaccination drive. The vaccine drive was officially commenced with a health worker receiving the first dose of the Covishield vaccine earlier today.

Currently, the capital is under curfew from 23:00 to 4:30, and motor vehicles are also prohibited from driving from 20:30 to 4:30. Parks are also to be closed for the time being while colleges and universities are also to conduct classes online.

Authorities also today confirmed that new variants of the virus were now spreading in the Maldives, which could be attributed to the increase in cases.